Because You Loved Me
by notTamiTaylor
Summary: Basically the plot of Annie, but the characters are from Glee! April is Annie. Broadwaybabewa and I are working together on this. Completely random and definitely AU. Better than it sounds, I promise.
1. Chapter 1

Annie

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. And you're never gonna believe who portrays Ms. Hannigan! **

**STREETS OF LIMA, OHIO**

**SATURDAY DECEMBER 5, 2011**

**10AM**

_Greg Schuester's POV_

I'm driving to the bank and while I'm at a stop sign close to the orphanage, I notice a tiny figure curled up in a corner by some boxes and the side of a run down building. I inch closer and notice the figure is a little blond girl. She doesn't have a coat on, and is shaking. I pull the truck up far enough away so it doesn't scare her.

I get out and walk up to her and realize she doesn't have anything more than what she's wearing. She doesn't notice me at first but when I kneel down next to her, "hey, is everything okay?"

"Yes..." she mumbles.

"It's snowing pretty hard, do you have something warm?" I ask her, knowing it's only gonna get colder and the snow is gonna pick up.

"No…" she quietly says.

"You're probably gonna end up getting sick if you stay out here much longer. Do you have somewhere to go?" I reply, hopefully she does.

"Yes..." she mumbles I'm not too sure if she really does though.

"Want me to walk back with you? Its way too cold to be out here right now" I say to her, hopefully there's somewhere I can take her, if not, I'm gonna bring her home.

"I'm okay by myself…" she replies, still not looking up at me. Something bad has happened to her, I can just tell by the way she's dressed and how she's acting.

"You sure? I wanna make sure you're gonna get outta this snowstorm…" I say, hoping she'll let me help her.

She just nods; this is when I know something's happened.

"You look like you're pretty cold. I can help you get somewhere warm." I suggest.

She doesn't say anything, just sits there shivering.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, I just wanna make sure you're safe." I reassure her, guessing that someone probably has.

She's still quiet and doesn't really move.

"Can you tell me your name?" I ask

"April." she mutters.

"April, my name is Greg." I tell her.

She just mumbles a small hi back to me. "I can take you somewhere warm, you can tell me where you want to go…"

She doesn't reply and this concerns me, she's probably run away from wherever she lives now.

"You really should get out of the cold, it'll only get colder tonight, and there's gonna be more now." I tell her, poor thing, she shivers as a big gust of wind comes.

"Oh." she mutters.

"I don't want you to get sick, I'll take you somewhere warm" I reassure her.

"Okay." she quietly says.

"Where can I take you?" I calmly ask her.

"Uhm…" she mumbles. Something's definitely happened to her. Or else she wouldn't be out here like this.

"How about I take you to get a little bite to eat?" I suggest, if she is a runaway, she probably hasn't eaten in a while.

"Thank you…" she says, looking up at me.

"It's okay, I'm gonna help you…" I reassure her, I don't want her to be afraid of me.

She's quiet when I say this, but I can tell she really wants to eat something, "what do you want to eat?"

"Uhm…" she mumbles.

"When was the last time you had something?" I ask her.

She just shrugs her shoulders; I'm starting to think she's come from an abusive home, or maybe ran away from the orphanage.

"I'm sure you've got to be hungry, let's go get something…" I smile.

"Okay…" she says, moving a little closer to me.

I take my coat off and wrap it around her, "It's way too cold out here, this'll help you warm up." She pulls the too big coat onto her tiny body and faintly smiles.

"Let's go to IHOP, get you something warm to eat…" I suggest, watching her smile get a little bigger.

"Okay." She replies.

"You'll feel better once we get outta this snowstorm…" I explain, as we start walking to the truck.

She pulls the coat closer to her body as it drags on the sidewalk, "This thing is so warm…" she mumbles.

"Have you ever had a coat before sweetie?" I ask, I really don't want to take her back wherever she was, seems like she's been through a lot.

"Never…" she quietly replies.

"That's okay, you can wear mine. Is there somewhere I can take you after we eat?" I ask, opening the door to the truck and helping her inside.

"Not really…" she mumbles.

"Where were you before you were by those boxes?" I ask, starting to drive and glancing over at her, she's curled up in my coat, shivering. I've turned the heat up pretty high; hopefully she'll start feeling better.

"I don't wanna go there…" she mumbles, hanging her head.

"If you don't like it there, I'm gonna see what I can do so you don't have to go back. You've just gotta tell me" I say to her.

"I ran away from the orphanage." She quickly mumbles, like she's afraid she's gonna get caught. Poor thing, who knows how horribly she's been treated, along with all the other kids there.

"Oh sweetie… here's what we can do, I'm gonna get you something to eat, and then I can take you to my apartment, and I'm gonna see what's going on with the orphanage.." I explain.

I watch her facial expression change to one of fear as she replies, "I don't wanna go back, and I hate it there…"

"I'm not gonna make you go back yet. I'm gonna see if you can stay with me and my wife for a while.." I reassure her.

"Okay" she quietly mumbles.

We get to the restaurant and she smiles when I park the car and get out to help her, "Keep my coat on. I want you to stay warm.."

She nods in agreement and looks longingly at the building. We start walking in and she smiles when she feels the warmth from the heat. We get situated at a table and she gives me a small smile, and pulls the coat tighter around her, trying to warm up. I quickly text Debbie telling her what's happened, and agrees that we should keep her until we talk to the orphanage and see what's going on. Because it certainty doesn't look good from the condition she's in.

**AN: This was a completely random idea I got while watching Annie. I have some really good ideas for upcoming chapters. Please let me know if I should continue. You're gonna die of laughter when you find out which lucky Glee character gets to play the orphanage director. Reviews are highly appreciated! Oh, this is my first story on my new MacBook pro!**


	2. Chapter 2

Annie

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. And you're never gonna believe who portrays Ms. Hannigan! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

She nods in agreement and looks longingly at the building. We start walking in and she smiles when she feels the warmth from the heat. We get situated at a table and she gives me a small smile, and pulls the coat tighter around her, trying to warm up. I quickly text Debbie telling her what's happened, and agrees that we should keep her until we talk to the orphanage and see what's going on. Because it certainty doesn't look good from the condition she's in.

**GREG SCHUESTER'S APARTMENT**

_Greg's POV_

We left the restaurant and started back to the apartment, shortly after we got in the car, she curled up in my coat and fell asleep. Poor thing, she's still shivering. She ate the entire stack of pancakes, whoever was supposed to be taking care of her at the orphanage, hasn't been doing their job.

We pull up in front of the apartment, and she doesn't move much, she's sound asleep. I get out of the truck and pick her up. She snuggles into me; her shivering subsides a little when I wrap my arms around her.

I unlock the apartment, and Debbie comes to the door from the kitchen. She immediately notices April, who's still sleeping in my arms.

"Hey… who's this cute little girl?" She asks me.

"This is April, I found her outside." I explain, rubbing April's back.

"Oh my god. Why was she outside in this storm?"

"She's from the orphanage…" I tell her, watching her facial expression change.

"Oh, is she okay?" she asks, looking at the little girl.

"She's really cold…" I tell her, pulling my coat closer to April's body.

"I would think so. Keep her wrapped up in your coat. Has she had anything to eat?" Debbie asks.

"I took her to IHOP" I explain, and she sighs in relief. She was starving, and I know the food helped warm her body up a little.

"Okay, I don't want her to go back there, I think something bad happened. I'll take care of her if you wanna give them a call and see what's going on." She suggests. April starts stirring and wakes up.

"Okay…" I say, rubbing the little girl's back.

"Hey April, I'm Debbie. Do you wanna come sit with me for a while?" she asks.

"Okay…" she mumbles.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Debbie asks her.

April just nods in my shoulder. Debbie picks her up and I fix my coat around April's shoulders.

_DEBBIE SHUESTER'S POV_

I take the tiny girl from Greg's arms and she shivers a little when his coat slips from her body.

"It's gonna be okay…" I reassure her. She just clings to me, looking for something warm.

I gently rub her back, "I'm gonna find you a big warm blanket, just relax" she snuggles into me and tries to keep his coat wrapped around her.

I sit her down on the couch and wrap her in a big blanket, "Can you tell me how old you are sweetie?"

"Eleven…" she mumbles. Poor thing, she's probably been in that orphanage since she was a baby.

"Okay, your hair seemed pretty wet, I can wash it and get it dry. You'll feel better when I do…" I suggest, from the way it looks it hasn't been washed in at least a week, and she's been out in the cold and the snow for who knows how long.

She looks at me eagerly, "Okay…"

I smile and help her into the bathroom so I can get her cleaned up. I'm just gonna do her hair right now, since she doesn't have anything else to wear. I've gotta call Kim and see if I can get some of Chelsea or Molly's old clothes for right now, it's way too cold to get her out shopping.

She lets me help her up onto the counter and get her situated with her head hanging over the sink. I got her to put on one of my old long sleeve shirts so her clothes don't get wet; the thing is like a dress on her, she's so tiny. She smiles as the warm water hits her head; it probably feels really good to her. I finally get the long curly blond hair clean and sit her up so I can dry it. It takes me a good twenty minutes to get her thick hair completely dry.

She runs her fingers through her clean hair and smiles. It's got to feel a lot lighter. I notice she's got some dirty spots on her face and get a washrag wet and put a little soap on it. "I'm just gonna wipe your face okay sweetie…"

She nods and I get her face clean, which causes her smile to get a little bigger. I help her down from the counter and we go back into the living room. Greg is sitting on the couch with the phone in his hand, but gets up when he sees us come back. She looks at the couch, then at me.

"Why don't we sit on the couch and watch a movie?" I suggest. She nods and lies down on the couch, pulls the blanket over her, and starts sucking her thumb. I sit down next to her and she curls up even more under the blanket, trying to get warm.

I tune out the movie and I can hear Greg on the phone in the other room. He's probably talking to the people at the orphanage.

_GREG SCHUESTER'S POV_

I looked up the number to the orphanage, and the website told me its run by a Sue Sylvester.

I dial the number and the woman picks up. "Hello?" she screams.

"Hi… Ms. Sylvester?" I calmly reply.

"WHERE THE HELL IS APRIL?" she yells at me. She sounds angry that April's ran away, not concerned at all.

"Calm down, she's with me.." I explain.

"With you?" she asks.

"Yeah, I found her. Why the hell did you let her outside without a coat? She was freezing…" I reply, I just know this woman doesn't care very much.

"She ran off! She doesn't have a coat!" the woman yells at me.

"It's fricken December! If anything she should have a coat, and she was starving… when was the last time she had anything to eat?"

"I don't know!" the woman screams into the phone.

"So you're tellin me you don't feed them, and they don't have anything warm to wear in this weather?" I ask, I'm definitely calling James later.

"Not really" she mumbles back.

"You're about to be in some serious trouble. My wife and I are already registered as foster parents, so guess what… we're keepin her through Christmas and I'm really good friends with the police chief.." I explain.

"What?" she yells.

"You heard me, the next phone call I'm makin is to the chief. And I'm comin by to sign whatever it is I have to sign so we can keep her…"

"Fine I'll get the papers!" she screams.

"Good, how many other little girls do you have in that dump you call an orphanage?" I ask, Debbie begged me to make sure the other girls were okay.

"Way too many…" she replies, sounding annoyed.

"I know some other people who would love to take care of them, you clearly don't care enough about them.." I say to her.

She's quiet after I say this, I think it's finally hit her that she's gonna be in trouble.

"I'll see you in about an hour…" I say, she just hangs up, I'm worried about those other girls now that she knows James is coming with me when I go over there.

Hopefully we can get things taken care of and those other girls out of the situation she's been in. Hopefully James isn't busy and he can come with me to the orphanage to see what's going on.

**A/N: It's about to get intense. Believe me, there's some crazy stuff planned for the visit to the orphanage. Oh, and in case you missed it, the orphanage is ran by none other than Sue Sylvester. That was definitely broadwaybabewa's idea. I thought it was hilarious, and decided to use it. I hope you're liking this story, please let me know and leave a review! **


	3. Chapter 3

Annie

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. And you're never gonna believe who portrays Ms. Hannigan! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

"I'll see you in about an hour…" I say, she just hangs up, I'm worried about those other girls now that she knows James is coming with me when I go over there.

Hopefully we can get things taken care of and those other girls out of the situation she's been in. Hopefully James isn't busy and he can come with me to the orphanage to see what's going on.

_Debbie Schuester's POV_

April is curled up on the couch with a big blanket sucking her thumb and not really paying attention to the movie. Greg comes in the room and smiles at her.

"Hey April, how would you like to stay here for a while?" he asks.

"Really?" she asks, like she's afraid to believe him.

"Yeah, it's almost Christmas, we want you to have somewhere nice to stay." He explains. God, she's probably never done anything, or gotten anything nice for Christmas.

She's quiet after he says this. She's probably kinda scared still.

"sweetie, we know you don't like being in the orphanage, it'll be a lot nicer if you'd stay here…" I say to her.

"I want to stay here…" she says, pulling the blanket closer.

"Okay, we want you to stay with us." I tell her, her eyes widen after I do.

"Really?" she excitedly says.

I gently squeeze her shoulder, "yeah honey, Greg's about to go sign the papers so we can keep you…"

She faintly smiles, and looks at Greg. She seems pretty shy, but then again she's only been with us for a few hours. But looks like she's feeling so much better.

"Feelin any better? I know you were pretty cold when you got here…" I ask her.

She just nods, but still pulls the blanket closer to her body.

"That's good sweetie, after the snow lets up a little, I'm gonna take you to get some new clothes…" I explain, knowing that what she's wearing is the only thing that she has. Unless there's something at the orphanage that she left behind, but I doubt it.

Greg stands up, "I'm gonna go, I'll be back later. I'll call after I get the papers signed…"

"All right, I'm just gonna be here with her" I reply, maybe she'll get some sleep she looks exhausted. I'm sure whatever they had to sleep on there was a lot less comfortable than this couch. She's so sweet and shy; I wish she didn't have to be treated this way.

***gLee!***

**ORPHANAGE  
><strong>**LIMA, OHIO**

_Greg Schuester's POV_

Once I get inside the orphanage I hear screaming and giggles cease. I make my way to the office where I am greeted by a tall blond woman. "You must be Greg…" she says.

"Yes, I am. I need the papers for April, and anything else that's hers." I say, looking over at James who has just walked in behind me.

"She doesn't have anything…" the woman replies.

"Okay, well just show me where to sign…" I say to her. She glances at James and he smiles.

"Sure whatever, do you want one of the little brats too?" she asks James.

"I'm just gonna have a look around if you don't mind…" he says.

"Fine…" she replies, handing me the paperwork. There's barely any information about April in here, nothing about what she likes, no health records, the only thing it tells me is her name, birthday and when she was brought in. Says she was abandoned at age eight, she's had a rough three years.

********  
><em>James Davis' POV<em>

I walk up the stairs to find the other girls cleaning the floor in the room where they sleep. One little brunette stops when she sees me walk in, "it's… a cop…."

All the other girls continue working harder, like they're afraid.

"It's okay, you're not in trouble…" I explain to them. Greg was right, they hardly have anything here, and there's certainly not anything to keep them warm.

"Why are you here?" the same brunette asks me.

"I just wanna make sure things are okay, can you tell me anything about April?" I ask her, as she walks closer to me.

"I like April, she's my only real friend…" the girl explains.

"She's safe, one of my friends is taking care of her, I can let her know I talked to you…" I reply. This little girl seems pretty scared, but the others aren't really concerned that I'm in here.

"Okay, I'm Becca…" she faintly smiles at me.

"Hi Becca, I'm Mr. Davis… but you can call me James if you want…" I smile at her. She's the first girl I'm going to find a home for, there's no way I can let her or any of these girls stay here.

She doesn't reply. But glances back at her abandoned rag on the floor and then looks up at me anxiously.

"How long have you been working on the floor?" I ask.

"All morning, Ms. Sylvester likes it spotless…" she answers instantly.

"It looks pretty clean to me, why don't you girls take a break for a while…" I tell her.

"We can't! she's gonna be mad…" Becca explains.

"I'll talk to her, don't worry about it.." I reply, and more of the girls drop their rags to the floor.

I kneel down to Becca's level, "In a few hours, I'm going to find someone new to take care of you girls, it shouldn't be like this here…"

She smiles at me, "I wanna leave here, April wanted me to come with her but I was too scared…"

"I'm gonna talk to some of my friends and see what I can do, okay… just hang tight in here for at least a day or two, and I'll come let you know when I find someone…" I say, hopefully someone in the family will want her.

"Kay… one more question…" she quietly says.

"Ask away.." I smile back at her.

"Can you see if someone can bring us some food? I'm really hungry…" she mumbles.

"Sure, I'm gonna call another one of my cop friends and see if she can…" Hopefully Jennifer can stop somewhere and get them something, if April was as hungry as Greg said, these girls have to be starving.

She smiles, "Thanks…"

"No problem, I'm gonna make sure you girls get a nicer place to stay before Christmas." I explain.

Becca smiles, "He's gonna get somebody to bring us food!"

The rest of the girls smile and the ones who are still scrubbing the floor stop.

"I'll be back soon okay" I get up to leave and Becca follows me close to the door, "hurry…" she quietly says.

"I'll try…" I smile and squeeze her hand.

I get back down stairs and Greg is trying to get Sue to tell him anything about April, but she barely knows the girls names.

"Ms. Sylvester…" I say, approaching her.

"What now? Find one you wanna take outta my hair?" she snaps.

"Well, I'm about to take all of them away, you're under arrest…" I explain.

"WHAT?" she screams.

"Neglect and child endangerment, for each girl, there's 10 girls up there plus April.." I explain, beginning to cuff her.

She's quiet and I take this opportunity to read her Miranda rights to her and Greg follows me to the car.

"I'm gonna call Jennifer and see if she and Bill can come watch the girls until we can get someone to take over…" I explain.

"Okay, I'm gonna call Debbie and let her know, her sister just graduated with her social work masters… she'd love this…"

"That'd be great, I wanna talk to her as soon as possible, I know she'd be great with the girls.." I reply.

We need someone like that in here, to make this a real orphanage. Get food service in here, some counselors, and clothing donations for the girls, and new furniture in their room. And I think I need to look into having the heater and running water checked too. Good thing April is out of this place, but I'm sure she still wants to be able to see her friends.

**A/N: SUE IS ARRESTED! Finally! Crazy right? Well, I'm just gonna do a few chapters showing the improvements to the orphanage and maybe give Becca a new home. Let me know if you have ideas and if you like this by reviewing! This is one of my many distractions from summer school….**


	4. Chapter 4

Annie

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. And you're never gonna believe who portrays Ms. Hannigan! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

"I'm gonna call Jennifer and see if she and Bill can come watch the girls until we can get someone to take over…" I explain.

"Okay, I'm gonna call Debbie and let her know, her sister just graduated with her social work masters… she'd love this…"

"That'd be great, I wanna talk to her as soon as possible, I know she'd be great with the girls.." I reply.

We need someone like that in here, to make this a real orphanage. Get food service in here, some counselors, and clothing donations for the girls, and new furniture in their room. And I think I need to look into having the heater and running water checked too. Good thing April is out of this place, but I'm sure she still wants to be able to see her friends.

***gLee!***

**LATER THAT NIGHT  
><strong>**GREG & DEBBIE SCHUESTER'S APARTMENT**

_Debbie's POV_

Greg came home and told me they were able to arrest the woman that was in charge of the orphanage. That's a good thing, now we can get Kim a job that she's been wanting for a really long time.

We had no problem getting April to eat, she was still pretty hungry. Kim actually came by and brought her some clothes, and promised April that her friends were going to be safe.

Now it's almost ten and she's curled up on the couch sucking her thumb, almost asleep. I gently rub her back, "hey honey, it's getting pretty late, I want you to go lay down in bed…"

"I wanna stay here…" she replies. Poor thing, she's never had anything comfortable to sleep on, and just wants to sleep on our couch.

"You'll be a little bit more comfortable in bed…" I explain, still rubbing her back.

"I don't wanna take one of your beds, I'm comfortable here…" I don't even wanna know what that woman told them. She probably slept on a really hard mattress for who knows how long.

"Sweetie… we have an extra room, it'll be okay.." she's never had someone want to take care of her, so she's not too sure how to react.

"This is the most comfortable thing I've ever been on, I'll just stay here…" she quietly replies. It's so sad to thing that there are ten other little girls that are probably struggling to get to sleep on whatever it is they have in that horrible orphanage.

"Sweetie, I promise the bed is more comfortable than the couch…" I reassure her, rubbing her back. She's nearly asleep, hopefully she'll agree to lay down. I want her under the warm covers tonight, being out in the cold for so long isn't good.

She's just starting to nod off and doesn't say anything back.

"You'll sleep better… and the blankets are warmer…" I encouragingly say to her.

She's still quiet and realize her eyes are barely open. I just think she's really too tired to say much anymore.

"I'll carry you if you want me to sweetie…" I tell her, rubbing her back.

She just blinks her eyes as I continue to rub her back, "it's okay sweetie… I want you to sleep in bed tonight.."

"Fine…" she yawns.

"Do you want me to carry you?" I ask, she looks completely exhausted.

"No…" she quietly says, which doesn't surprise me, it's only her first night here. So it may take her some time to get used to.

"Alright sweetie… I know you're tired so I'll help you get the sheets pulled back.." I smile at her.

She just stares at me and doesn't say anything. "it's okay sweetie, nothing bad is gonna happen…" I reassure her.

I watch her slowly get up and rub her eyes. She's definitely exhausted, being in the cold with nothing warm and nothing to eat really took a lot out of her. I guide her into the bedroom and she just stares at the bed. It's got flannel sheets on it because of the cold weather. She's never seen anything like it, so it probably scares her a little bit.

I squeeze her shoulder, "It's okay sweetie… I promise it's really comfortable.."

She nods and watches me pull the sheets back so she can climb in. She just sits there for a few minutes in awe at how comfortable is. I watch as she starts fumbling with the edge of the blanket and a small smile forms on her face.

Her eyes grow even more tired as she continues to fiddle with the sheets. I decided not to say anything to her, just so she could get used to the idea of sleeping in a warm bed. Finally she can barely keep her eyes open and she lies down.

I cover her up with the blankets she was fiddling with just a few seconds earlier and wish I would have gotten her a stuffed animal. She has nothing to hold onto, and it might help her sleep better. She instantly puts her thumb back in her mouth and her eyes close.

Hopefully she'll sleep through the night, but I have a feeling she'll have at least one nightmare. She's such a sweet little girl and she's been through way too much. So I leave her door cracked so I can hear her if she starts to cry or screams while she's sleeping.

I glance out the window and notice the snow falling harder than it was this afternoon. I'm so glad Greg got her out of that horrible storm before it got too late and something bad happened to her. I would much rather have her here tucked under the warm covers than in that orphanage under a tiny piece of material. Hopefully this time that we have her as a foster daughter can turn into an adoption, I want her to have what she's been missing out on for so long.

**A/N: So, mostly Debbie's thinking in this one. But next chapter there's a little more excitement… well… drama. Please let me know what you think of this story by alerting, and reviewing! I want to know your opinions, it helps me write and gives me motivation. Happy reading! **


	5. Chapter 5

Annie

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. And you're never gonna believe who portrays Ms. Hannigan! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

Hopefully she'll sleep through the night, but I have a feeling she'll have at least one nightmare. She's such a sweet little girl and she's been through way too much. So I leave her door cracked so I can hear her if she starts to cry or screams while she's sleeping.

I glance out the window and notice the snow falling harder than it was this afternoon. I'm so glad Greg got her out of that horrible storm before it got too late and something bad happened to her. I would much rather have her here tucked under the warm covers than in that orphanage under a tiny piece of material. Hopefully this time that we have her as a foster daughter can turn into an adoption, I want her to have what she's been missing out on for so long.

***gLee!***

**FOUR HOURS LATER:  
><strong>**DEBBIE & GREG SCHUESTER'S APARTMENT  
><strong>**1:45 AM.**

_Debbie's POV_

I'm awakened by the sound of April crying in her sleep so I quietly walk into her room to check on her.

"sweetie…" I calmly say, causing her to look up at me.

She's quiet, but keeps crying. I sit down next to her, "you okay? I think you had a bad dream…"

She only nods, and leans into me a little so I start rubbing her back. She slowly stops crying but still whimpers every once in a while.

"it's okay sweetie, nothing bad is gonna happen. You're safe here.." I tell her, rubbing her back.

She just yawns and struggles to keep her eyes open.

"think you can get some more sleep sweetie?" I ask her,

"yes…" she quietly says, hiding a yawn.

I help her lie back down and she's a little hesitant to use the blankets that are on the bed. I give her a reassuring smile as I help her fix the sheets.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep sweetie, just relax."

She looks at me, struggling to keep your eyes open. I gently rub her shoulder, "just close your eyes and try to get some sleep. It's okay…"

She falls asleep in about five minutes. But I stay with her for about ten, just incase she wakes up again. But she's sleeping soundly so I decide to go back to bed.

***gLee!***

**THE NEXT MORNING.  
><strong>**11:15AM**

_Debbie's POV_

I've decided not to wake her up this morning because I know she's been so tired, and she needs the sleep. But it's almost noon and she's still sound asleep, I'm worried she might be a little sick from being without food for so long and out in the cold. I've heard her cough a few times, but she was still sleeping, so I didn't want to bother her.

I walk into her room, "April honey…"

She curls herself further under the covers so I walk up to her and rub her back, "you okay?"

She just sneezes and snuggles into the covers more.

"you okay?"

she's quiet and I just keep rubbing her back, "you can stay in bed okay… but I do want you to tell me how you're feelin…"

"tired…" she quietly tells me. Which doesn't surprise me at all, she's probably so sleep deprived.

I gently feel her forehead, "you're a little warm. Just try to get some more rest, and I'm gonna check your temp in a few minutes…"

"kay…" she yawns.

She's curled up completely under the covers when I come back with the thermometer. "honey, just put this under your tongue for me.."

She takes it and sticks it in her mouth, and closes her eyes. When it beeps I gently pick it up, but it's barely over 99.

"not too bad. How're you feelin besides tired?" I tell her.

"okay…" she quietly says, not really looking at me.

I squeeze her shoulder. She's so worn out, and she just needs to be able to catch up on her rest.

"you sure sweetie?" I ask her.

She only snuggles further into the sheets.

"it's okay sweetie. I'm gonna take care of you. I know you're still sleepy, you can get some more rest and I'll come check on you in a few minutes okay…" I calmly say to her.

"Okay…" she mumbles with her face buried in the pillow. She falls asleep and I fix her sheets again before I leave her room, cracking the door so I can hear her if she starts waking up.

About ten minutes later she coughs, and it sounds like it's getting pretty deep. I walk into her room and gently rub her back, "honey…"

She's quiet and tries to ignore me.

"feelin okay?" I ask. I want her to see that I really want to take care of her.

"yeah…" she says.

"still feelin sleepy?" it's getting closer to noon and I'm a little worried about how much sleep she's really had.

I gently rub her back, "can I check your temp again?"

"okay…" she says, not really looking at me.

I have to try a little harder this time to get the thermometer in her mouth, but eventually she cooperates and once it beeps I'm relieved when it hasn't gone over 99 yet.

"it's still about the same. Are you sure nothin else is buggin you?" I tell her.

She's quiet, but starts coughing again. I know something's bothering her, she's just so used to having to suffer through it she doesn't know what to tell me.

"honey, is your throat starting to get sore.." I ask her.

"I'm fine.." she quietly says.

"if you're feelin sick you can tell me…" I reassure her.

She's quiet, and probably a little scared too. I rub her back, "I'm gonna help you honey, all you have to do is tell me what's hurtin…"

She still doesn't say anything. I really think they never took care of them at the orphanage.

"do you have a headache honey?" I ask her.

"yes.." she whimpers.

"what about your throat.. is it hurtin too?" I ask her, I'm sure it is.

She just nods. I gently rub her back. "is your nose stuffy too?"

"a little…" she quietly says.

"I'm gonna get you a little bit of medicine sweetie, it'll help you feel better faster.." I tell her.

I feel so bad for her. She's been through way too much, and no one's really taken care of her. she probably gets sick a lot because they didn't take care of her. I want her know she doesn't have to take care of herself when she's sick like she used to. She's so tired she could barely keep her eyes open when she was talking to me.

I sit with her until she falls asleep and quietly leave her room, with the door cracked. I think when she's feeling better I'm gonna take her to get some things to redecorate the room, that way it'll help her feel more like she belongs.

**A/N: I'm on a roll updating today, when I should be studying for summer school finals. Oh well, at least you guys have something to keep you entertained. I hope you enjoy this story, and if you do, please let me know by reviewing! It motivates me to write and lets me know that there are actually people reading this story. **


	6. Chapter 6

Annie

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. And you're never gonna believe who portrays Ms. Hannigan! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

I feel so bad for her. She's been through way too much, and no one's really taken care of her. she probably gets sick a lot because they didn't take care of her. I want her know she doesn't have to take care of herself when she's sick like she used to. She's so tired she could barely keep her eyes open when she was talking to me.

I sit with her until she falls asleep and quietly leave her room, with the door cracked. I think when she's feeling better I'm gonna take her to get some things to redecorate the room, that way it'll help her feel more like she belongs.

**DEBBIE & GREG'S APARTMENT**

_Debbie's POV_

I walk back into the living room and thankfully Greg is sitting on the couch reading. "I need you to do me a favor.." I tell him.

"what is it?" he asks.

"April's getting a little sick. Think you could go pick up some medicine for her?" I ask him.

"sure" he says, putting his book down on the coffee table.

"oh, and I think she'd like a stuffed animal too. She's been sucking her thumb a little, I think she needs something to hold onto." I tell him, she has absolutely nothing. Except the tattered clothes she's wearing.

"okay.."

"we both know she had nothing at that orphanage. I'm just glad she's with us now and those other girls are gonna get taken care of better" I reply.

"yeah.." he says, grabbing his wallet, shoes and keys.

"maybe pick up some cough drops too. Her cough is getting pretty deep" I suggest, I might take her to a doctor. She's probably never really been and I wanna make sure everything's okay.

"okay. I'll go find some" he says, heading towards the door.

"alright. She's sleepin now, but I want her to take the medicine soon" I tell him.

"okay. I'll go buy it and the stuffed animal." he replies.

"I think a lot of this has to do with her being out in the snow so long"

"yeah probably.." he says.

"and she's so tired. I have a feeling that lady probably overworked them" I reply, I could just see the exhaustion on her face when she went to bed last night.

"I think she did" he says, shaking his head, there's at least ten more innocent girls there that are just as tired as her but don't have nice warm beds to sleep in. Or clothes that are appropriate for the weather.

"I'm gonna try to talk to her when she's feelin better.." I need to know what things were like there so I can help Kim fix the place up.

"okay…" he replies. Knowing that the more we know the better we can help those girls get what they need.

"did she have anything with her when you found her?" I ask, even though I kinda already know the answer.

"not really" he replies, I can tell he's not happy with the condition of the orphanage.

"That's another thing I'm gonna do when she's feelin better, take her shopping" I tell him, even though he gets a little angry when I take Kim's girls shopping since I tend to spend a little more money than I should.

"she needs it, she doesn't have anything." He says. She doesn't even have a coat, so it'll be hard getting her out in the cold, since she was shivering so much when he brought her in.

"and it's almost Christmas. Please tell me we're keeping her through the holidays" I ask him. I don't want her to go back before then, she needs to have at least one good Christmas at some point when she's a kid.

"yeah we are." He replies, smiling. We weren't gonna do much for Christmas this year, but now that we have her I wanna make it really special.

"okay. It's almost like she's scared of the orphanage" I tell him. She's still curled up in bed, and I think she's afraid to get up because she probably thinks she won't be able to lay in bed again.

"I think she is. She asked me not to take her back when I found her" he tells me. I want to do whatever it takes to keep her, and maybe adopt her. she's so sweet, she just needs to be in the right environment and I think she'll be fine.

"I'm worried about the other girls there. But I'm sure the police are gonna get it taken care of" I say, if they're anything like April, they're probably really scared, and lonely. I wish we could take in one more girl, but it would be a lot.

"yeah.. they should be doing something soon." He says. I haven't been to the orphanage, but from what he told me, it's not in good condition. Maybe there's something I can do to help those girls.

"Okay. I want her to have the medicine when she wakes up, so you should probably go ahead and get it" I tell him.

"yeah.." he says, putting on his coat.

"thanks. I'm gonna start working on Christmas plans since we have her…"

"okay" he says, walking out of the apartment.

He returns about an hour later with some medicine and a teddy bear for her.

I take the bear from him and walk into her room. She's still curled up under the covers and sleeping. I gently put the bear by her on the bed and she reaches for it and starts to wake up, "wha…" she mumbles.

I rub her back, "shhh, honey. It's okay"

She's quiet and grabs the teddy bear.

"Can you sit up for me so you can take some medicine?" I ask her.

She slowly sits up, her blond hair is matted and really needs to be brushed. It's just gonna take a while to get it healthy again.

"how're you feelin sweetie?" I ask her. She looks a little better, but I can still tell she's tired.

"okay.." she says. She's just not used to people trying to take care of her, so she doesn't know what to say. I think I'm gonna have to work with her a little and see where she is academically, and just with everything.

"How's your throat feelin?"

"it hurts a little" she says.

I'm just gonna have to help her put the pieces together. She just doesn't know what to say. I show her the cup of purple medicine and she just looks at it.

"it's okay if you take this sweetie, it's gonna help you feel better" I explain. She's probably never really had medicine before.

She hesitantly sips the medicine and makes a face. I know it doesn't taste good, but it'll help her, and I just wanna make sure it doesn't turn into more than a little cold.

"are you still feeling sleepy?" I ask her.

"yeah" she says, yawning. This makes me worry if she's ever slept through the night.

"when was the last time you got a good nights sleep honey?"

"uhm.." she mumbles, trying to think.

I gently squeeze her shoulder, "it's okay sweetie. You can stay in bed today"

"mmk…" she yawns. I wish those other girls were at homes where they'd be taken care of. But I know if we let Kim take over, she'd take really good care of the girls and get them the structure and attention that they need.

"are you feeling like eating anything?" I'm sure she's hungry, she didn't eat much last night and the last thing she had was at IHOP with Greg.

"yeah.." she says, happy that I've offered that option to her.

"what can I get you?" She may not know what everything is since they really weren't fed, so I think she's gonna be pretty willing to eat almost anything.

"uhm…" she mumbles again. I can tell she's thinking, but the words just aren't there. I think if I showed her a few things she'd start to understand more of what's going on.

"wanna come see if there's anything you wanna eat?" I suggest, I'm sure she'll want to try new things.

She nods, and I help her up from the bed. When I open the refrigerator she looks into it with wide eyes and isn't really sure what she can eat. Her eyes settle on the pasta that I'd made last night for her that she didn't really eat much of. She hesitantly points to it, and then tries to reach it off the shelf but can't.

"do you want the pasta sweetheart?" I ask her.

"yeah.." she mumbles, reaching for it again, but looks frustrated when she can't get to it.

"okay. I'll get it honey…" I say, taking the bowl out of the refrigerator. She tries to smile, and then reaches for it.

"I'm gonna warm it up okay sweetie. It'll be ready in a few seconds.." I explain. This makes me wonder if they had to fight each other for food, when they did get it since there probably wasn't enough to feed all of them.

She just looks at me and sits at the table. I'm not really sure how I'm gonna see where she is academically. She should be in either 4th or 5th grade, but she may be too far behind for me to enroll her right away.

I bring her the pasta after it finishes heating up and she smiles, and starts eating right away. "have you ever been to school sweetie?" I ask her.

"I don't remember the last time I went. I think it was before I went to that scary place" she tells me, taking a sip of the juice.

"would you like to go back to school?" I ask, maybe they could test her and see where she is developmentally.

She looks at me and gives me a tiny smile, "yeah.."

"okay. It's winter break right now but when school starts again you can go.." I explain to her. This gives me some time to work with her and try to get her caught up. We may have to hold her back a year, and she probably has some developmental delays and is probably gonna struggle a lot.

"mmk.. we never got to go to school… but I think we were supposed to" she says, struggling a little to say all the words correctly.

"I'm gonna talk to one of my friends that works at the school, and get you signed up. It'll be okay.." I tell her. She's probably gonna have to go through some testing and maybe a little speech therapy, but I think she should be fine.

"kay.." she mumbles and continues to eat. I'm glad she told me this because now I know that those other girls are probably struggling academically as well and we need to get them caught up.

There's gonna be so many things we have to work on with each girl, but it'll be so much better for them in the long run. I want to talk to Greg and see if we can adopt her, she'd be much better off if we kept her so she could have some consistency while she's catching up to where she needs to be.

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. School is kicking my butt and other stories are occupying me. I've got some great ideas for this story, and since my major is speech pathology and special education, I will be throwing a lot of that kind of information in here, since it kinda has to do with the girls at the orphanage. I hope you enjoy this chapter and this story! Please review if you have any ideas. **


	7. Chapter 7

Annie

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. And you're never gonna believe who portrays Ms. Hannigan! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

"I'm gonna talk to one of my friends that works at the school, and get you signed up. It'll be okay.." I tell her. She's probably gonna have to go through some testing and maybe a little speech therapy, but I think she should be fine.

"kay.." she mumbles and continues to eat. I'm glad she told me this because now I know that those other girls are probably struggling academically as well and we need to get them caught up.

There's gonna be so many things we have to work on with each girl, but it'll be so much better for them in the long run. I want to talk to Greg and see if we can adopt her, she'd be much better off if we kept her so she could have some consistency while she's catching up to where she needs to be.

***gLee!***

**TWO HOURS LATER  
><strong>**LIMA ORPHANAGE**

_James Davis' POV_

I walk in the building, and it's pretty cold in here. I'd gotten someone from CPS to stay here since we'd arrested the original supervisor. I'd convinced my wife to come with me to meet Becca, and she's already gone upstairs to check on the girls.

I talked to the CPS worker, and she said that the girls were really struggling, and she had to go out one night and buy more blankets for them, since they were freezing. She's ordered food for them every day, and it's all her own money so I'm gonna see if I can get the state to reimburse her. I tell her that my wife and I may be taking Becca home with us for a while and she thinks it would be a good idea.

I make my way upstairs and Melissa is sitting on a bed next to Becca. "hey…" I say, quietly walking over to them.

"you came back…" the little girl says.

"just like I said I would. Is everything okay?" I ask.

"I don't wanna be here anymore.." she whimpers.

Melissa starts rubbing her back, "I know…"

"how would you like to come stay with us for a while?" I ask her.

Melissa looks at me like I'm crazy but smiles when Becca looks at her.

"really?" the little brunette asks. She's so tiny, all of these girls are. The CPS worker said they scarfed the food that was brought in last night. Maybe we could take her out to lunch and get her some new things.

"yeah, it's almost Christmas and we want you to have something nice…" I tell her. Melissa smiles at me when I sit next to her.

It's pretty cold in here and I'm not surprised when she crawls across the bed and leans into me. I wrap my arm around her and she's shivering. Poor thing, she's so miserable here, she shouldn't have to go through this.

"mmk.." she says, snuggling into me.

I hold the shaking little girl and Melissa smiles, handing me a blanket. I wrap her up and she relaxes into me. "can we go now?" she asks.

"okay.. Mel, will you go downstairs and make sure all of her paperwork is done?" I say rubbing Becca's back.

"sure" she says, getting up and leaving the room. Becca buries her head in my shoulder when I get up to leave.

"is there anything here you want to take with you?" I ask her.

She nods and I put her down so she can go get it. She runs over to a bed that I guess was April's because it looks abandoned. She crawls under it and pulls out a tattered teddy bear.

"April told me to keep it. And if I ever saw her again to give it back so she'd know it was me…" she tells me.

I'm gonna have to take her over to Greg's to see April. They must've been each other's only friend. "Okay. Maybe I could help you find April, and you can let her have the bear" I say.

She looks at me and reaches for me like she wants to be held again. I wrap her in the blanket and pick her up. She buries her head in my shoulder, wraps one arm around my neck and clutches the teddy bear close to her.

I carry her downstairs and Melissa smiles when she sees us. "everything's fine. We can take her"

Becca's grip tightens on me when we walk outside into the cold. I hold her close and notice a news van parked down the street. I'm still in my police uniform and they come up to me when they see me carrying Becca.

"what's going on? Is she okay?" the reporter asks me.

Becca whimpers in my arms and I bring the blanket up around her head so they can't see her.

"No comment" I say back to them, rubbing Becca's back.

Melissa brings the car up to us and I get in the back seat with Becca. She's still shaking in my arms and I gently rub her back, "shhh, just relax. You're safe with us"

We get her home and she's sleeping in my arms. Melissa helps me out of the car and I sit on the couch with her. I don't want to lay her down because I'm afraid she's gonna wake up if I do. She's still shivering so I wrap her in another big blanket and hold her close to me.

About an hour later I feel her hot tears soaking my shirt. I gently rub her back, "shhh, Becca. It's okay"

The little girl whimpers and keeps crying. I'm pretty sure she had a bad dream. Melissa comes in and sits by me. She gives me a concerned look when she sees the second blanket wrapped around her.

"what's wrong sweetie?" I ask.

"I… is Ms. Sylvester gonna be mad?" she whimpers.

I gently rub her back, "no, she's not at the orphanage anymore. I'm a police officer, I won't let anything bad happen.."

"mmk" she whimpers.

I keep rubbing her back, "shhh… just relax. Everything's gonna be okay"

She snuggles into me, trying to keep warm. I glance at Melissa and she looks really concerned.

"Becca sweetie, are you feelin okay?" Melissa asks her.

"really cold" she says, wrapping herself up in the blankets.

I hug her, "are the blankets helping at all?"

She nods, "but I'm still cold"

"what if I brought you some hot chocolate? It'll help you warm up" Melissa says.

"really?" she asks.

"yeah, I can make you some. Have you ever had it before?" she asks.

She shakes her head no.

"it's okay. I think you're gonna like it" Melissa smiles, getting up and going into the kitchen.

A few minutes later she comes back with a plastic cup of hot chocolate and I help Becca sit up. She reaches for the glass and takes a sip. She smiles and her body relaxes after she takes a few more sips. She's not really shivering anymore when she finishes the glass. The little girl leans back into me and pulls one of the blankets up over her. She's not shaking anymore and I hand her the teddy bear again.

"I've always wanted to go to school…" she quietly says.

Melissa smiles, "it's winter break right now. But I can call the school and see what we need to do to get you signed up"

"really?" Becca asks.

"yeah, I think you'll like it" she says.

The eight year old smiles and snuggles into me. I think she's gonna be okay, she's just a little shy right now. I run my fingers through her tangled hair and she relaxes.

"do you wanna tell me about some of the things you like sweetie?" I ask her.

"uhm… my favorite color is purple…" she quietly says.

"okay… is there anything else you like sweetie?" Melissa asks.

"I dunno…" she quietly says, leaning her head on my chest.

When I read her papers, it said she'd been at school one day and her parents died in a car wreck. No one else in her family could take care of her since they all lived out of state. It's been almost two years since the accident and she's been in the orphanage since.

I gently rub her back, "it'll be okay. You're gonna stay here for a while, and things are gonna get better"

She whimpers and I just hold her. It's probably been so long since anybody's comforted her, I'm not sure how much attention she's gotten since her parents died and she probably didn't get much comfort after that happened either.

I keep rubbing her back and she snuggles in to me. Her breathing evens out and she's asleep again. Poor thing, she must've had a really hard time sleeping at the orphanage. I just let her sleep, she probably feels a lot safer with me and a lot more comfortable. Hopefully we can keep her for a while so she can have somewhat of a childhood. I'm not sure how good it was before this, but lately it's been hard.

**A/N: HELLOOOOO out there! Is anybody even reading this? If so, I want to know. Please review and let me know what you want to happen, and if I should even be spending my time writing this. I hope whoever is reading this enjoys it. **


	8. Chapter 8

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. I promise this is better than the summary sounds. Please review! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

_James' POV_

She whimpers and I just hold her. It's probably been so long since anybody's comforted her, I'm not sure how much attention she's gotten since her parents died and she probably didn't get much comfort after that happened either.

I keep rubbing her back and she snuggles in to me. Her breathing evens out and she's asleep again. Poor thing, she must've had a really hard time sleeping at the orphanage. I just let her sleep, she probably feels a lot safer with me and a lot more comfortable. Hopefully we can keep her for a while so she can have somewhat of a childhood. I'm not sure how good it was before this, but lately it's been hard.

**TWO HOURS LATER  
><strong>

_James' POV_

It's been a good two hours and she's still sound asleep. I really need to call Greg and some other people at work to see how things are going. I grab a pillow and gently lay her down on the couch.

I walk into the kitchen and Melissa smiles at me, "how is she?"

"still sound asleep. I think she just needed someone to hold her, she hasn't had that in two years" I explain.

Melissa sighs, "I read through her files at the orphanage, and it said she'd come from a pretty normal family. It was just that horrible accident that changed things. Her extended family just didn't care enough to come here and get her"

"I hate that she's had to suffer for two years in that place. She was scared at first when she saw me, but she had an easier time accepting the fact that I was gonna help more than any of the other girls." I tell her.

"I just can't let her go back there after she told me she wanted to go to school. It would really hurt her. I want her to get the chance to be a kid again" she says.

"since it's almost Christmas, let's keep her. I'll give us time to get things settled with the orphanage and maybe you could work with her and see where she is academically"

"alright. I want to take her to dinner tonight, but maybe I should make something here…" she says.

"I think that would be better. She's been so cold and she needs something good to eat. And I'm not sure how long she's gonna sleep either. She just needs to have a night where she can relax." I tell her.

"yeah, do you think you can stay here while I run to the store and pick up some things for her? She only had that beat up teddy bear when we left" she says.

"honey, that teddy bear is April's. Becca told me that April left it with her so that if they ever saw each other again Becca could give it to her."

she sighs, "you have to call Greg. If the girls are friends we need to let them see each other."

"I'm about to. I wanna know how April's doing and I need to call the precinct and see if they've made any decisions on what they're doing about the old director" I tell her.

"okay. I'll be back in a few minutes. Let me know what Greg says" she tells me, grabbing her purse and walking out the door.

_Greg's POV_

Debbie is sitting on the couch looking through some books with April and she's having a hard time reading most of them. I had been talking to Kim about how April's doing and what changes needed to be made at the orphanage. I'm about to go into the living room with them, but my phone rings again.

"hey Greg.." the voice says.

"hi James. What's up?" I ask him.

"How's April?"

"she's okay. She had a little bit of a cold this morning. Debbie is reading with her right now…" I reply.

"okay… Melissa and I brought one of the girls home. She has this teddy bear that April gave her and told her if they ever saw each other again that Becca was supposed to give it back to April" he says.

"do you think we should let the girls spend time together soon?" I ask him. I want April to have friends, and maybe we can get them to go to the same school.

"yeah. Maybe in a few days, Melissa just ran to the store to get some things, and Becca is asleep right now" he says.

"okay. how long is she gonna stay with you?" I ask him. I know Debbie really wants to keep April. And I can tell April's liking the attention she's getting from Debbie, she's never really had a mother so she's begging for all the attention she can get.

"we're planning on keeping her through Christmas. And she really wants to go to school so we'll probably let her stay with us so she can" he says.

"I think that's what we're gonna do too. Debbie said she knows somebody at the school that she was gonna call to get her in. I'll get her to call Melissa so they can get that worked out." I tell him.

"okay. I'll just let them work out when the girls can see each other. I'm about to call the precinct and see if there's any new information as to what we're gonna do about the orphanage" he says.

"alright. I'm gonna go sit with Debbie and April for a while. Call me if you get anything" I tell him, and we hang up.

_James' POV_

I'm about to call the precinct but when I glance into the living room, Becca is standing in the doorway to the kitchen clutching the teddy bear and the blanket is dragging on the floor. I put the phone down and stand up to walk closer to her. She reaches for me like she wants to be picked up, so I do.

"wanna talk about it sweetie?" I ask her, she's probably had a bad dream or just has so much on her mind.

She wraps one of her arms around my neck and I cover her up with the blanket again. "I just want a family…"

I rub her back, "you will get a family, you're not alone anymore…"

She sniffles a few times like she's trying not to cry, "will you be my daddy?"

It probably took a lot for her to ask me this, she hasn't had anyone for a few years and she really needs somebody. I think if she gets a good home now she'll be okay, she's still really young. Even though Melissa and I haven't really decided what our plans are, I'm a little worried about sending Becca back to the orphanage.

I move her so that she's sitting on my knee, "you're gonna stay here for a while, and we're gonna see how long they'll let us keep you. But you can call me daddy as long as you're here okay…"

She gets up from my lap, and storms back into the living room. I just don't know what Melissa wants to do, so I text her telling her what just happened and ask her if it would be okay if we adopted Becca.

She replies telling me that she'd been thinking about it and that we'd make a decision when she got home. I get up to go check on Becca and she's laying on the couch face down crying.

I gently put my hand on her back, "sweetie…"

"I did nothing wrong and they disappeared! They left me in that scary place for a long time.. I want my family back…" she cries.

This makes me wonder if anybody told her the truth. If we do keep her, she's going to need some counseling because it's obvious she never got it when she was at the orphanage.

I gently rub her back, "shhh, everything's gonna be okay. You're gonna stay here, we're gonna take care of you… I promise"

"what about my mommy and daddy? Why can't I have them?" she asks.

I run my fingers through her hair, "do you remember the car accident you were in a few years ago?"

She nods, "it was rainy, and dark, and really, really scary."

It was probably just a freak accident because of bad weather, they happen all the time. "well, the doctors tried to make your mom and dad get better but they couldn't." I explain.

"s.. so does that mean they… d… died?" she says, choking on a sob.

I hug her, "it does sweetie, I'm sorry…"

She keeps crying, "they just told me I had to go to the scary place until they could find someone to take care of me. I thought it meant I had to stay there until they got out of the hospital"

I start rubbing her back, "I'm sorry nobody told you what really happened. I know it's not fair. I'm not gonna make you go back to the scary place, I promise"

She clings to me and keeps crying. I feel really bad for her, she's been thinking her parents are gonna come back when they've been dead for two years. I gently rock her to try to get her to calm down.

"I hate it there" she sobs.

"shhh, I know. Everything's gonna be okay" I calmly say to her.

I hear Melissa come in the door and she quietly puts the bags down on the kitchen table and comes into the living room. "she okay?" she quietly asks.

"I just had to tell her what really happened because no one else did" I explain, still rocking the crying little girl in my arms.

Melissa sighs, "I picked up some toys and things at the store. Maybe you could get her to come look at them"

Becca's sobs have finally turned into whimpers and her breathing is starting to even out. I nod, "sweetie, do you wanna come into the kitchen with me? Melissa brought home some toys that she wants you to have"

She slowly picks her head up, "really?"

"yeah, and I'll let you pick what you wanna eat for dinner tonight. I'm gonna make you something" Melissa tells her, smiling. I think it's been so long since she's seen a friendly, smiling face that she isn't too sure how to react.

Even though her tears are almost gone, she's still clinging to me. I gently rub her back, "do you want me to carry you into the kitchen?"

She nods so I pick her up and sit down with her at the same chair I was earlier. Melissa follows me and starts to put some of the cold things into the refrigerator, showing each thing to Becca before she does.

Once she gets all the food put away, she reaches inside a Walmart bag and shows Becca a purple stuffed bunny. I notice a tiny smile form on the little girl's face as she reaches for it, and holds it close once Mel gives it to her. She then shows Becca some of the other things, it isn't much but it's probably more than Becca's had since she's been at the orphanage.

There's even two new outfits and a new pair of shoes. I can tell Becca's just a little overwhelmed because she's still clinging to me. "it's okay sweetie, these are all for you" I reassure her.

She slowly sits up and reaches for a coloring book that has a big box of crayons sitting on top of it. I help her open the box of crayons and she smiles. I move the chair so that she can sit on my lap and color.

"I'm gonna start dinner, what do you want sweetie?" Melissa says.

"uhm, spaghetti?" Becca tells her, even though it sounds more like a question.

"sure" she smile, pouring water in a pot to start cooking.

I just smile at the little girl in my lap coloring a picture of Tigger. It's been way too long since she's had anybody's undivided attention, but I think she'll be okay in a few weeks.

**A/N: I know it's been a really long time since I've updated this. But I really don't have very many excuses, other than school. But that's over for now. Next chapter will focus more on April, since these last few have been about Becca. Let me know if you have any ideas by Reviewing. Merry Christmas! Follow me on Twitter! Gleeroxmysocks **


	9. Chapter 9

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. I promise this is better than the summary sounds. Please review! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

_James' POV_

She slowly sits up and reaches for a coloring book that has a big box of crayons sitting on top of it. I help her open the box of crayons and she smiles. I move the chair so that she can sit on my lap and color.

"I'm gonna start dinner, what do you want sweetie?" Melissa says.

"uhm, spaghetti?" Becca tells her, even though it sounds more like a question.

"sure" she smile, pouring water in a pot to start cooking.

I just smile at the little girl in my lap coloring a picture of Tigger. It's been way too long since she's had anybody's undivided attention, but I think she'll be okay in a few weeks.

**LATER THAT NIGHT  
><strong>**DEBBIE & GREG'S HOUSE**

_Debbie's POV_

April eagerly ate dinner, she wasn't too sure what she wanted but accepted my offer of chicken soup. She's feeling better than she was this morning but is still running a low fever. She's laying on the couch watching Cinderella and sucking her thumb. I'm pretty sure that's something she does because she could never get any comfort from other people.

I sit by her as the movie is nearing the end. She gives me a small smile and lets me feel her forehead. She still doesn't feel like she has a high fever, which is good. It's getting close to Christmas and I want her to have some nice things, but she probably hasn't thought of anything she wants. She sits up and leans into me. I wrap my arm around her and she smiles.

"what do you want for Christmas honey?" I ask her.

She sighs, "I dunno, I've never gotten anything"

I start to rub her shoulder, "it's gonna be different this year. You're gonna be with us and I want you to have some nice things"

"I would ask them every year to take me to see Santa. They never did, so I just stopped thinking he was real because he never came.." she quietly says, tears forming in her eyes.

My heart breaks for her, she never got a single gift on Christmas, and is only eleven, but doesn't believe in Santa. I really want to see if I can change that for her. "Honey, I can take you tomorrow to go see Santa, I promise he's real.."

Greg and I are gonna have to get her most of the things she wants to even try to change her mind. She needs the chance to be a kid, I can tell she really wants to.

"really?" she asks me, attempting to hide her tears.

"yeah sweetie, we'll go see him, and then we can get you some new clothes" I tell her. she needs something warm, it's too cold for her to be wearing the thin dress she had on when she came to us.

She smiles and snuggles up to me. I hug her and she continues to watch the end of the movie. I gently run my fingers through her hair and she smiles. It's a little after nine thirty and she's starting to doze off in my lap.

"it's time for bed sweetie…" I tell her, rubbing her back.

She just yawns and snuggles into me. "can I sleep here?" she asks.

I continue to rub her back, "the bed is a lot more comfortable, and you'll be warmer"

She sighs, "are you sure?" she's still not used to having things always be there for her and not having to share them with anyone else.

"yeah, it's okay, it's yours and no one else can take it from you" I tell her. I know right now this is only temporary but she needs to hear these things.

She just yawns again and clings to me. I run my fingers through her hair and she starts to fall asleep. I quietly turn off the TV and continue to hold her. A few minutes later I feel her relax and her breathing deepens. I knew trying to convince her anymore to get into bed wouldn't help. She turns her head to the side and rests it on my shoulder. I just keep rubbing soothing circles on her back and shoulder, making sure she's really asleep before I decide to move her to the bed.

**THE NEXT MORNING  
><strong>**GREG & DEBBIE'S**

_Debbie's POV_

She slept through the night and quietly came into the living room about ten, where Greg was watching TV. I didn't hear her until I came in with my coffee and she was cuddled up next to him on the couch. I sit next to them, "hey sweetie, did you sleep good?"

She nods, rubbing her eyes to stay awake. I smile, "I'm gonna make you some breakfast and then we're gonna go see Santa…"

"kay.. can… I have pancakes? I had them when we were at that restaurant and they were really yummy…" she asks.

I squeeze her shoulder, "sure kiddo.."

I get up and head back into the kitchen, it's a good thing that she felt like she could ask for something to eat, I'm sure she tried and tried in that orphanage and hardly ever got anything. This is when I remember my brother has been playing Santa down at the mall, so I'm gonna have to call mom and explain things to her so he doesn't tell her first.

**LIMA ORPHANAGE  
><strong>**10:15AM**

_Kim Stevenson's POV_

I'm so glad Debbie's husband noticed that little girl and was able to get things going in the right direction for this place. There's eight girls here now, all under the age of twelve. We had to purchase new bed frames, mattresses and flannel sheets because what they had was falling apart. It's an old building so the insulation and plumbing aren't that great but there are things that we can fix. The insulation will be harder to repair because these girls need somewhere to stay.

The fire department came and replaced the nonworking smoke alarms. The guys also gave each of the girls a teddy bear, which some of them have never had one of their own. My girls were willing to give up some old toys and books that they didn't use so the girls here could have them. I told them not to worry about clothes because we would have to take care of that for each girl individually.

We hired a cook, and food service because the girls weren't getting the nutrition they needed. I called the pediatrician I use for the girls and she was willing to come and check on each of the girls, since their records were so behind. She told me that if they ever got sick she'd be willing to help take care of them.

I've also started talking to the girls individually to find things they like so I can update their files and get to know them better, something the old director never did. I can already tell the ones that will need to visit with a counselor to work through the traumatizing experiences they've had and the others that just need a friend. The state also said they would talk to the school and work on a plan to get the girls caught up where they need to be. So far it looks as if each one will have to take a test to see what grade they should be in and then we'll go from there.

I've helped the girls develop a routine so that each day they would know what to expect, other than having to worry about when their next meal was, or what they could and couldn't do.

We've made contracts with a construction company to come in and update the bathrooms as well as put in a playground on the vacant lot next to the building. The social workers the state has hired suggested we make rooms for school, counseling, a small doctors office and a playroom. I agree, but I still would like the girls to go to public school once they get caught up to where they should be.

I've talked to James and Debbie and started doing follow up on the girls they're taking care of. I hate that the information in Becca's file was ignored, it was something that should have been taken seriously and she should have been given the attention and care that she needed to get through something like that.

Some of the girls are having a hard time getting used to the new routine and are still wanting to constantly clean, or they still beg for food every time they see me. At night I've been having to stay in their room until almost one sometimes until they all fall asleep because most of them are afraid and don't like to be alone.

It's going to take a lot of work to get these girls where they need to be but it'll be worth it.

**THE MALL**

_Debbie's POV_

I'm standing in line at the mall holding April's hand. It's been a long time since she's really been out in public like this so she's scared. I'm glad that it's my brother playing Santa so I can call him later and ask him what she said she wanted. We get up closer to the front and I can tell she's trying really hard to be happy, but the apprehension is still there, she's not sure what's gonna happen.

It's finally our turn and I help April up on Henry's lap and he looks at me, wanting to know what's going on. I mouth that I'll call him later and he just blinks, telling me that he understands.

I hear him ask April what she wants and at first she looks over at me and shrugs her shoulders. I smile at her and he tells her that it's okay if she tells him what she wants. She quietly mumbles something to him and he smiles up at me. She jumps off his lap and runs back to me. I hug her and she just gives me a small smile.

"what did you ask him for honey?"

She just shrugs her shoulders, but her attention is caught by the open windows of a hair salon near by. She tugs my hand and starts to walk closer to the window, and watches a few of the women in various stages of their hair cut. I then notice her run her fingers through her long, curly hair and look longingly into the window.

I smile, "would you like to get your hair cut?"

"can I?" she asks, grabbing the ends of her hair that fall in the middle of her back.

"alright. I'll call the girl that does mine and see when we can get it done" I tell her. She smiles and nods.

An hour later we're in the car again, and she's starting to yawn, and her eyes are getting heavy. She falls asleep before we get home, and once we get there Greg comes to the car to help me carry in the bags. I got her a few coats, some jeans and warm sweaters. I also was able to get her a hair appointment for tomorrow. He picks up the sleeping girl from the seat while I get the stuff that I'd bought. He gives me a look, I know I spent a lot but she needed this. We get her inside and he lays her down on the couch, covers her up and gives her a stuffed animal.

I quietly go into the kitchen and call my brother, I know he's on break now so hopefully he'll answer.

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long. I wish I'd gotten these Christmas chapters up before Christmas but that just didn't happen. But oh well, I hope you enjoy this. Please review! Follow me on twitter, gleerocksmysocks. And Tumblr: emren10. **


	10. Chapter 10

**So, broadwaybabewa and I have come up with this idea. Basically the concept of Annie, but instead of Annie, the main character is April Rhodes… crazy right. The people who find her is the imaginary family we have created for Will Schuester. This is the family we use in our other stories. I promise this is better than the summary sounds. Please review! **

**PREVIOUSLY**

_Debbie's POV_

An hour later we're in the car again, and she's starting to yawn, and her eyes are getting heavy. She falls asleep before we get home, and once we get there Greg comes to the car to help me carry in the bags. I got her a few coats, some jeans and warm sweaters. I also was able to get her a hair appointment for tomorrow. He picks up the sleeping girl from the seat while I get the stuff that I'd bought. He gives me a look, I know I spent a lot but she needed this. We get her inside and he lays her down on the couch, covers her up and gives her a stuffed animal.

I quietly go into the kitchen and call my brother, I know he's on break now so hopefully he'll answer.

**GREG AND DEBBIE'S APARTMENT  
><strong>_Debbie's POV_

Henry answers the phone after two rings, "what was the deal at the mall earlier?"

I sigh, "she's from the orphanage, Greg found her on the streets a few days ago"

"and you're taking care of her? for how long?" he asks.

"I'm not sure, the woman that was working at the orphanage was arrested for neglecting the girls and Kim took over. Mom knows. But what I want to know is what she asked you for…"

He sighs, "she wants a real mom…"

Of course she does, she's been alone pretty much her whole life. It's really sad to think that somebody could just let her be on her own at such a young age. "anything else?"

"no, she just said she wanted a mommy." He tells me.

"well, then I guess it looks like we are gonna adopt her…" I say, grabbing my to do list and making a note to call the adoption agency.

"seriously?"

"what are we supposed to do, send her back to the orphanage? She wants to go to school Henry, she wants a mom, I can't just turn her away after everything she's been through" I tell him, sounding just a little annoyed.

He sighs, "you're right Debbie. I know you'd be a great mom"

"thanks. We've just got a lot to work on with her, but she'll get through it." I tell him, she needs to see a doctor, the school needs to test her to see where she is developmentally and she might need some counseling, but doing that through school would probably be best.

"do you want me to wait until Christmas to meet her so she doesn't get any ideas that I'm Santa?" he asks, chuckling a little.

"that would probably be best. I just want her to have some time to get used to being with us before she meets the family" I say.

"so we are doing something for Christmas this year then?" he asks, originally we weren't all gonna meet together but now that we have her and it's probably her first good Christmas I want her to be with her family.

"yeah, I've still gotta finalize things with mom but I think we're gonna do it at her house." I think it would be best if we met at our house, but I want her to get to know my parents too.

"alright. just let me know" he says, and we hang up.

I go into the living room and April's still sleeping soundly on the couch. She's curled up under a blanket with a stuffed teddy bear, and she's sucking her thumb. I just smile, and fix the blanket around her where she'd pushed it away.

I walk back into the other room to talk to Greg. I want to know what he thinks about adopting her. We were going to try to have our own kids but now that we have her, I'm not sure what he wants.

He's in his office when I finally find him, "hey" he says smiling.

"what's up?" I ask when I notice he's on the computer.

"looking at what we would need to do to adopt her" he says. I smile, and sigh, he is thinking the same thing as I am.

"really?" I ask, peeking at the computer.

"yeah, she needs a good home" he says, leaning over so I can see what he was looking at.

"I talked to Henry. He said that she told Santa she wanted a real mom…" I tell him, that just breaks my heart. Poor thing probably hasn't had anyone take care of her until now.

Greg just sighs and squeezes my hand, "well, we can adopt her, and she'll get that."

"yeah. I was thinking we'd go to my mom's for Christmas this year, since we don't have to go very far and I don't want to overwhelm her too much" I tell him, I'm a little worried about how she'll react to meeting the rest of my family. I'll probably talk to her about it first.

"that's probably best. What should we get her? other than adopting her?" he asks.

"I'm not sure yet. She seemed really overwhelmed in the toy store and didn't really explore much of what was there. But I'm gonna talk to her though" I tell him. She just let me pick out a few things for her and she accepted pretty much everything I showed her. she was just happy to be getting some new things.

"alright. I'm gonna call our lawyer and see what we'd need to do. we're already her foster parents so it can't be too hard" he tells me.

"sounds like a good idea. I'm gonna check on her, she was getting a little restless before I came in here"

He nods and picks up the phone. I make my way back into the living room and she's flopped over on the couch, so now she's laying on her stomach, and she's whimpering a little. Her legs are curled up close to her and she's still sucking her thumb.

I sit by her and gently rub her back, "shhh sweetie"

She tenses under my touch and buries herself farther into the blanket. I just keep rubbing gentle circles on her back, "it's okay, just relax"

She whimpers and flops over to her side. She must be having a nightmare, when she's sleeping peacefully she's pretty still. I just fix the blanket around her and she squirms. She must've felt my hand on her because she sits up and leans into me. Her eyes flutter open and then they close again.

I wrap my arm around her and fix the blanket. She snuggles close to me and relaxes. I can tell she's never had this kind of attention but is warming up to us pretty fast.

**A/N: sorry about the wait! I've been busy with school and have slightly lost interest in Glee. But I had a few new ideas for this story so I decided to write them. Please let me know if you're still interested in this, because if you are, I'll keep going! Please review. Follow me on twitter: onlyprettier214 **


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